Sonic the Hedgehog: Beginnings
by Thomas Holmes II
Summary: This is how Sonic learned his true identity; how he learned of his powers. It is the story of how I began to learn to let go of my troubled past and keep moving forward to the future and how I met two special friends. Note: this will feature elements from Star Wars.
1. Prologue

**Sonic the Hedgehog: Beginnings**

Hello, everyone. I'm Thomas Holmes the Second; speaking to you STH fans from Mobius. A lot of you have heard various stories of how all the different versions of Sonic's adventures began. Here, I'll tell you how my adventures with Sonic began, my friends; the coup d'état, Sonic's family and how he met his siblings. If you want to know how I met Sonic, see 'How I met Sonic the Hedgehog', which occurs before the events of this story.

Disclaimer: In your world, of course, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog and Co, or the original storyline. That belongs to SEGA, Archie, DIC, etc.

**EDIT: 'Beginnings' is undergoing a SERIOUS revamping, guys; I feel that the original wasn't all that good, so I'm making changes.**

Prologue:

Earth; the distant future. It is the 15th millennium and the planet is generally known now as Planet Mobius. Two species dominate the planet; Humans, which were the first to evolve, and Mobians, evolved from Earth's animal kingdom. No one knows for sure how Mobians came into being, but what is known is that thousands of years ago, a great disaster occurred that set Earth back millennia and that in the year 10,600 AD, a new age for Earth began, when the Kingdom of Hedgehog-Acorn was formed, led by two families, the Hedgehogs and Acorns. However, humanity found it very hard to accept this new race and created their own society.

In the year 3389 MA (13,989 AD), the growing tension between the two races reached its peak and the Human-Mobian War, also known as the 'Great War' broke out, and shook the whole world. Two years into the war, in 3391 MA, the Royal Hedgehog triplets, Ogilvy, Victoria and Maurice Hedgehog were born. However, a year later, their father, King Jules was injured in battle. His elder brother, Prince Charles Hedgehog, tried to cure him using his latest Roboticizer, a machine whose function you know very well. As shown to you in the Archie Comics, Jules lost his free will when roboticized but no one knew why; Charles felt responsible. Shortly afterwards, Queen Bernadette, Jules' wife, suffered the same fate. With them out of commission, Bernadette's younger sister, Aleena, had to take over the crown, until the triplets came of age. However, shortly afterwards, she disappeared, apparently never to be seen or heard again. Rumours hovered that the triplets had been separated and given different names.

The Kingdom won the war with the help of Julian Ovi Kintobor, now Warlord for the Kingdom on 7th July 3396, after one final duel between King Max Acorn and the Human Overlord.

Just weeks later, however, Julian Kintobor unleashed a full scale coup d'état, banished King Acorn to the Void and took over the Kingdom, renaming himself Doctor Valefar Ivo Robotnik. He was the leader of a Humanocentrist organisation, the Dark Imperial Legion, and once he took over, he declared himself Governor of Mobius and the Humans swore loyalty to him.

Millions of Mobians were roboticized and became slaves, though the aristocrats were spared simply because Robotnik wanted to coax their money out of them. Humans meanwhile, were spared but had to pledge eternal allegiance to Robotnik or die. The President of the United States lost his job, as did many other head of states around the world as Robotnik's reign spread everywhere.

Northamer (North America), Soumerca (South America), Efrika (Africa), Downunda (Australia), and several countries in Yurashi (Asia) fell to Robotnik's rule over the next ten years. Eurish, or Europe, however, wouldn't go down easily. They put up defences against Robotnik forces and they had waged war with Robotnik ever since.

Among those opposing Robotnik's tyrannical rule was a small rebel group called the Knothole Freedom Fighters, who operated from the Great Forest. They were dedicated to freeing Mobius from Robotnik's control and operated via espionage and sabotage missions to foil the Legion's ambitions. Among them was Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive!

For most of his life, Sonic had displayed only super speed and impressive, though not great, intelligence, but here, I'm going to tell how he and his friends discovered their powers, how Sonic discovered his true identity and his family…


	2. Sonic's enigma

Chapter 1: Sonic's enigma

**A/N: The parts involving the introductions of Manic and Sonia were inspired/based by shadowclanwarrior's fanfic 'Sonic Undeground: Retold by a Fan' and I give him credit.**

* * *

><p>15th April 3406 (14,006 AD)<p>

Tails' workshop, Green Hill Zone

It had been three weeks since I had moved in with Sonic the Hedgehog and his fellow Freedom Fighters (see 'How I met Sonic the Hedgehog'). The training I'd done so far had been tricky; stealth training, computer training, mechanics training etc. However, Princess Sally had assured me that it's okay; I was, after all, a beginner. I'd replied it was simply a pleasure to be with the Freedom Fighters, especially with my hero Sonic the Hedgehog helping me.

At the moment, I was alone in the workshop that Tails had built inside a cave in Green Hill. Sonic and Tails were out on a mission to take out one of Robotnik's latest robot factories. I'd wanted to go with them, but Sonic had told me, politely and casually, that I wasn't ready yet, but I would be soon. Green Hill was such a beautiful place; palm trees, sparkling blue water; Flickies flying here and there and other cute little animals having fun. I knew that Green Hill wouldn't be like this if Sonic hadn't been there. He and the Freedom Fighters had protected the Green Hill for years, making sure Robotnik and his forces didn't take it.

Though I loved it here, I still missed my old home of England and my family. My parents had died when I was a baby; I'd been brought up in an orphanage alongside my brother and sister by my uncle; but I had lost them too. Saddest of all, I'd lost my best friend, Beatrice...

I shook my head, trying to ignore those thoughts and turned my thoughts to Sonic. Just thinking of Sonic made me feel a little happy; he was many things to me; my hero and had been for years; my mentor, the one who did most of my training with me; and a role model, because he was so brave and heroic that I wanted to be like him. But sometimes, Sonic seemed more than my hero, mentor and role model; sometimes, he seemed like a brother to me...

Sonic had no family of his own, like pretty much everyone else in Knothole. He'd been brought up by his Uncle Chuck prior to Robotnik's takeover and his parents had apparently died in the war. Yet, he'd told me that he kept feeling something wasn't right about that, though why, he didn't know. But that was soon to change...

* * *

><p>Robotropolis, back alleys<p>

A Human woman was hurrying home, taking a shortcut through some dingy alleyways. Her eyes kept flitting around, and she handled the stun pistol hidden under her coat, which she carried for protection, ready to draw it if necessary. This place was said to be crawling with thieves and bandits.

Just then, as she rounded a corner, she walked into someone and fell over backwards. Shaking her head, she drew her pistol, but it was only a hedgehog boy with red hair, dressed in a cloak against the cold.

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry, miss," he said. "I didn't see you there. Let me help you up."

"No, thank you," the woman said, waving him away and getting up herself. "I can handle myself, thank you." And she walked off again.

The boy smiled. "No matter; I got what I needed." And he pulled off a mask he'd been wearing. He was a green hedgehog of 14 with punk hair, blue eyes, two rings in his left ear, and wearing spiked bracelets, a red jacket and a belt with a pouch. His name was Manic and when he had knocked into the woman, he'd managed to slip off her bracelet without her noticing. He examined it briefly.

"This should get us some real good food," he said, before hurrying home.

Manic lived with Ferrel, a thief who essentially lived in the sewers. Ferrell was a kleptomaniac, who had never been able to resist the lure of valuables. However, since Robotnik's takeover, Ferrell and his bunch had recently become something of the Mobian version of Robin Hood and his merry band of men. The taxes were high and relentless and many people had been forced from their homes because they couldn't pay. Ferrell felt it was only right to give something back to the poor and if it meant stealing money and valuables from rich people to buy food for the poor, so be it.

Manic returned home. "Ferrell!" he called. "I'm back!"

Manic had known Ferrell for as long as he could remember; he'd been found in a basket by Ferrell and his gang when he was a baby. Ferrell had immediately taken a liking to the green hedgehog and so, had raised him like a son. In fact, Manic often thought he _was_ Ferrell's son and that his mother was a hedgehog who had died. But this, of course, was not true and Ferrell knew that one day, he'd have to tell Manic the complete truth and who he really was.

"Manic, my boy," Ferrell said, smiling widely. "What have you got for you this time?"

Manic opened his pouch and took out the bracelet, plus a couple of wallets, a watch and even a wedding ring. Any wallets Manic took, he would soon return to their owners once he had taken what they needed.

"Good haul," Ferrell said, picking up the bracelet and holding it up to the light. "You've amazed me once again with your skills, Manic."

Manic smiled at his foster father. "Well, I couldn't have accomplished it without your lessons, Ferrell. How much will all this make, do you reckon?"

Ferrell chuckled. "Who knows? But no doubt, enough to help Margaret and her folks get along. She will be pleased. Your abilities make you a hero to poor people here, Manic."

"That's good to hear," Manic said, then his eyes dropped to the ground and his smile faded a little.

"Anything wrong, Manic?"

"Ferrell, what is it about me that makes me so different? And why is it that I sometimes hear voices in my head and often feel emotions that don't seem my own? Is there something about me that you're not telling me?"

Ferrell said nothing for a moment. What could he say? "I can't say, Manic," he said finally. "I wish I could tell you, though. But please, don't let it bother you. The answer will come eventually. How about a play on your drums? That might clear your head."

Manic sighed. "Okay, Ferrell."

* * *

><p>Windermere Mansion<p>

Sonia, an eggplant-coloured hedgehog of 14 with lilac eyes and orchid-coloured spines and hair, was in her bedroom sitting at her vanity table and brushing her hair.

"There," she said eventually, setting the brush down. "Just the way I like it, smooth and dirt-free."

Sonia had grown up in the aristocratic home of Lady Felicity Windermere and while her guardian was in no way snobbish, the expensive and highly pampering world of aristocracy had caused Sonia to develop a huge of dislike for germs, untidyness and dirtiness and she always liked to look her best.

Sonia was an expert pianist, and whenever she wasn't keeping herself clean, she was practicing. Other aristocrats who'd heard her play often said she could rival composers like Mozart and Beethoven if she kept it up.

"Sonia, are you nearly ready in there?"

"Just coming, Bartelby," Sonia said, going to the door. Sir Bartelby Monclair was Sonia's closest friend in the upper class. He was a nice and handsome guy, but he was too friendly with Robotnik for Sonia to see him as anything more than a friend.

Sonia left her room and went to the stairs, at the bottom of which Bartelby was waiting.

"Come on, then, Sonia," Bartelby said. "We don't want to be late for our meeting with the Alberts at the mall."

"On my way down," Sonia said, and she began to backflip her way down the stairs, moving gracefully and never once losing her balance.

"Sonia!" Lady Windermere said in exasperation. "How many times have I told you not to do that in the house?! You're going to hurt yourself or someone else!"

"I can't help it, Lady Windermere," Sonia said. "It's just a natural instinct of mine."

"I know, but you've drawn enough attention in public as it is," Lady Windermere said. "I don't want you to attract the wrong kind of attention, my child."

Sonia merely giggled. "You worry too much," she said as she made her way to the door. "What wrong kind of attention could I possibly attract?"

"Yeah, lighten up, Felicity," Bartelby said. "Why would Robotnik bother with Sonia? She's doing nothing against the law or anything."

Lady Windermere merely sighed as Sonia and Bartelby left.

But despite her positive attitude, inwardly, Sonia felt concern about herself too. There was something inside her that made her different in an extraordinary way; something that was the cause of her great skill. Plus, sometimes, she'd found she could make objects move without touching them; she could hear people's thoughts at times; and her senses seemed more enhanced than was per the norm for hedgehogs. But Lady Windermere had never really explained why this was; all Sonia knew about her past was that she was adopted and nothing else. Somehow, Sonia knew there was more, but what that was, she couldn't think of...

* * *

><p>Green Hill<p>

Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest living thing on Mobius, was tackling a group of Badniks with his best friend and surrogate brother Miles 'Tails' Prower. As you may know, Badniks were robots powered by Mobinis, which were a class of Mobians that weren't as evolved as actual Mobians. Robotnik had found that roboticizing them didn't help much, and so had opted for using them in organic batteries for his Badniks. Sonic and Tails were freeing those cute little creatures by destroying the robot shells, by means of spin-dashing them.

Sonic was a cobalt blue hedgehog of about 14 with emerald green eyes, peach-coloured arms, muzzle and belly, a well-toned body, six quills on his head, a small bunch of indigo hair and was wearing white gloves and red and white high-tops.

Sonic shredded a Caterkiller and a Chopper to pieces and Tails took out a Grounder and a Crabmeat. A Buzzbomber swooped in; trying to zap Tails to dust, but Sonic was too quick, blasting _him_ into dust instead. Soon, all the Badniks were merely piles of scrap metal and the animals were escaping back to their homes.

"Another load of Badniks taken care of," Sonic said, "Nice job lil' buddy."

"Thanks, Sonic," Tails said. He was a nine-year-old two-tailed fox with orange-brown fur, white chest fur and muzzle, three bangs on his forehead and sky blue eyes. He too wore gloves and high-tops, though his high-tops were halved white and red.

Sonic had known Tails since the day of the kid's birth, which had been the day Robotnik took over. His father, Amadeus Prower had disappeared that very same day. A year later, his mother, Rosemary, had disappeared also and the baby kitsune had been found by Sonic in the Great Forest, trying to live with some birds, only to be kicked out and he had landed in a swamp. When Sonic had reached him, only his tails were not submerged. Sonic had only managed to grab one of them to pull; only to learn both belonged to the baby fox. Recognizing him, Sonic had taken Miles back to Knothole where he and the others had raised him themselves, especially Sally, who was like a mother to him. They had eventually given him the name 'Tails', because of his twin tails.

"Let's get to finding that factory, lil buddy," Sonic said, "and take it out." He activated the communicator on his hand to contact Princess Sally Acorn, the leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. "Sal, you there, girl?"

"Loud and clear, Sonic," Sally replied. Sally was a hybrid of a squirrel and a chipmunk, with sapphire blue eyes, brown fur and auburn red hair, and wearing a blueverse and boots. "What's your position?"

"We're two miles south of the Cumberland mountains," Sonic replied, sweeping his hair out of his face. "What's the location of the Badnik factory?"

In Knothole, Sally consulted NICOLE, her handheld computer and closest friend. Where she came from we may never know. She wouldn't say.

"The factory is just two miles west of your location," Sally said, "Just remember Sonic. Robotnik's new shield could be powerful enough to resist even you."

"I know, Sal" Sonic said, "But if I can't prove it's not penetrable, ol Buttnik will put it around every factory. I have to take the risk." He switched off the comm. "Come on, Tails," he said to the kitsune, "Let's go."

"Right behind you, bro," Tails said, twirling up his tails and flying after Sonic as they headed off.

* * *

><p>Badnik factory, Green Hill<p>

These Badnik factories could produce 100s of Badniks an hour. However, they couldn't actually put in the organic battery straight away. That is why Badniks already online go out to capture Mobinis to power the Badniks. Sonic had destroyed several factories over the last two years and Robotnik was determined to prevent him from destroying this one. That was why he had now installed a shield, hoping it would repel the hedgehog.

Robotnik's two foremost assistants, Snivley, his nephew - a small man with almost no hair at all and a long pointed nose - and Grimer - also a small man with green skin - were operating the factory. At the moment, they were speaking to Robotnik via holographic projection.

"Shield status," the dictator demanded.

"Shields ready, sir" Grimer replied in his high, falsetto voice.

"Good!" Robotnik said, "Activate! Soon, when that wretched hedgehog tries to use his speed, he'll be in for a big surprise. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Of course, he underestimated Sonic's speed, as he was about to find out.

Sonic and Tails were standing on a hill, watching the large shield that surrounded the factory.

"Are you sure about this?" Tails asked his big brother.

"Not entirely," Sonic admitted, "but I have to try. Don't worry; I've been practicing, lil bro. I've just gotta do it to it." He revved up his legs.

"Be careful, big bro!" Tails called, as Sonic rocketed towards the factory at supersonic speed.

Snivley and Grimer were preparing to head back to Robotropolis, when Decoe and Bocoe approached. They were two assistant robots built by Robotnik; Decoe was tall and lanky, with gold plating, whereas Bocoe was short and stocky with silver plating.

"Sirs, there's a life-form approaching at super speed," Decoe said.

"The hedgehog," Snivley said, grinning, "Excellent. Now we'll see just how powerful our shield is."

Sonic was running full out towards the factory. "Almost there," he groaned.

"Give it all you got!" Sally said, over the comm. Sonic was soon going so fast he was a blur. He gritted his teeth as he hit the shield.

"No way am I stopping!" he shouted, feeling the shield resist him, but he pushed on. It crackled him, trying to resist him. Then, BOOOM! The shield was down. "YEAH!"

"WHAT?" Robotnik cried, who had been watching the whole thing from Robotropolis, "The hedgehog destroyed my force field! Curse that blasted hedgehog!"

Sonic felt a little dizzy after going through the shield, but he resisted his fatigue. He had to free the Mobinis and destroy the place. He rocketed inside and in a blink of an eye, busted all the Badnik shells, wrecked the place and busted open the pods holding the animals captive. They gave their thanks in various ways before running off.

"Now, to blow this joint. Literally!" Sonic said, and taking out small bombs, he activated them and set them up around the factory. The moment they saw the bombs, Snivley and Grimer panicked.

"Let's get outta here!" Snively screamed. Punching the launch button, their command centre took off, just as the factory blew. The shockwaves sent it spiralling through the air.

"Doctor Robotnik isn't going to like this at all," Grimer said, as they headed back to Robotropolis.

* * *

><p>Tails' workshop<p>

I was just thinking about heading to bed when Sonic, massaging his head, and Tails entered the house.

"Hey, Sonic," I said, getting up and walking over, "You guys kick some robo-butt as usual?"

"Oh yes, bro," Sonic replied.

"Did you feel lonely without us?" Tails asked.

"Sort of," I said. "I still wish I could have joined you."

"Maybe next time," Sonic said, patting my shoulder.

"Anyway, I was thinking of heading to bed," I said. "I'm getting tired."

"Yeah, I think we could all use some shut eye," Tails said. "Especially you, Sonic, after tackling that shield."

"Yeah, I got a mondo headache right now," Sonic said.

* * *

><p>Later that night, I was sleeping soundly in a sleeping bag on the floor of Sonic and Tails' room. However, my dreams weren't exactly pleasant; I was dreaming of dark rooms, creeping shadows, screams, evil laughter and then, a gunshot. Then, I jerked awake.<p>

_Another bad dream_ I thought to myself, massaging my forehead. _Will this never end for me?_

I was feeling thirsty, so I slid my glasses on and got up quietly to get a drink. However, I noticed Sonic's bed, which was in the shape of a racing bed, was empty. Where was Sonic? Had he gone for a midnight run or something? Nah, he wouldn't; not after that strain he endured from tackling the shield. I crept downstairs and found him gazing out of the window. He looked round as I appeared.

"Oh, Tommy, it's you. Sorry if I woke you."

"No, it's okay, Sonic. But why are you up at this hour?" I looked at the clock on the wall. "It's 2:00 in the morning."

Sonic sighed. "Tommy, have you ever felt like... there's something mysterious about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I feel like I'm different from everyone else; and not in a typical 'everyone's difficult' way - I mean different in a phenomenal way."

"Well, you're already a phenomenon, Sonic; you move faster than the speed of sound."

"I know, but sometimes, I feel emotions that aren't really my own; thoughts that never came from my own mind. I keep feeling like there's something missing from my life, but I don't know what."

"Well," said a voice, "now you are going to learn exactly what is missing."

Sonic and I looked around nervously. "Who's there?" Sonic asked, "Show yourself, whoever you are."

There was a flash of bright green light; so bright that it was also blinding. Then, a hooded figure appeared before the three of us. He looked like a hybrid of a reptile and an anteater. He also looked very wise.

"Greetings, my friends," he said, "What a pleasure it is to meet you."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am the Oracle of Delphius," he replied, "I am one of the most powerful prophets on the planet, Thomas Holmes."

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I know a lot about you, Thomas Holmes II," the Oracle said.

"Hey, I've heard about you," Sonic said, "You live up in the Ice-Cap Zone. You're that mondo weird prophet-hermit-seer guy."

The Oracle chuckled. "Why, yes. Anyway, sit down, my friends." He gestured at the table.

"With respect, this is our place," Sonic said.

"I'm merely being polite," the Oracle said, sitting down at the table. "Please sit down," he said again. Then, he produced a plate of chilli dogs out of thin air.

"Whoa," I said. I cleaned my glasses and put them back on; just to make sure they were really there. "Crikey! How in the world did you do that?"

'I have extraordinary gifts, young Thomas," the Oracle said. "But I didn't actually create these from thin airs; I pre-made them and then teleported them here."

"Oh, boy," Sonic cried, sitting down and starting to eat rather sloppily. Chilidogs are Sonic's favourite food as you probably well know, and he rarely ate him neatly.

"Now," said the Oracle, "it's time you learned who you really are, Prince Sonic."

Sonic spluttered on his fourth chilidog and I, who had just been having a drink of water, gagged and spilled water down my pyjamas.

"Prince!" we both said, coughing.

"Yes," said the Oracle, "Prince Sonic Hedgehog. What your uncle didn't tell you is that you are from the Royal Hedgehog family, who ruled besides the Acorns for over three thousand years."

"So I'm royalty like Sally?" Sonic asked.

"Oh yes," the Oracle replied, "and soon your quest to discover your power will begin. But you are not alone."

Sonic was amazed. "Well, I have my friends, the Freedom Fighters," he said awkwardly.

"And us," I said.

"You also have a brother and a sister."

Sonic gagged and spat chilli everywhere.

"WHAT?!" he cried coughing.

"WHAT?!" I said at the same time as Sonic.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's the answer to Sonic's true heritage. Well, part of it anyway. The rest will be revealed next chapter. Until then, God bless us.<strong>


	3. Truths revealed

Truths revealed

(Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and Co. SEGA, Archie, DIC etc. own them.)

* * *

><p>Command Centre, Robotropolis<p>

There have been many infamous leaders and dictators in the history of Mobius, both before and after the global change. There have been men like Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France; Ivan the Terrible, ruler of Russia; Osama bin Laden, founder of al-Qaeda; and of course, Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazis. People have said that few could rival these men's infamy. However, there was one man who has actually rivalled their infamy; some might even say he surpassed theirs. This man was infamous that his presence may haunt Mobius from now until the end of time. And that man was Valefar Ivo Robotnik.

Most humans' feelings towards Mobians generally ranged from distrust to outright dislike, but Valefar Ivo Robotnik, the dictator of Mobius, absolutely loathed Mobians, almost like no other man. He believed that Mobians didn't deserve rights or freedom; he believed they should serve mankind and so, when he took over the Kingdom, he enslaved them by means of Roboticization. He also opposed democracy in every way, believing that there should only be one ruler; him. He ruled his empire with an iron-fist, believing it was the best way to maintain peace. He was the leader of the Dark Imperial Legion of Homo Sapiens, a group that claimed to embody the purity and strength of humankind.

Robotnik was probably the most successful dictator known to the world; he had control over more than half the planet and influence in almost every continent; the only exception being Eurish, which had put up strong defences against him and his forces. However, Robotnik had puppet governments set up around them, intending to essentially starve them into submission.

Robotnik was the most feared man alive; he was such an intimidating man that even his officers had expressed fear towards him, though they usually tried everyone in their power to hide this from him; despite his generally calculating demeanour, Robotnik could get real angry and when he got angry watch out! So, naturally, Snivley and Grimer were afraid of how angry Robotnik would get over the fact that Sonic had busted their force field.

Robotnik, seated in his throne, was a frightening sight to behold. He was about 6' 3", and he had a large belly (obviously). He wore a red, yellow and black dictator uniform; a long yellow cape; tall black boots; and massive shoulder pads. His left arm was roboticized, as an incident with Sonic had knocked it into the roboticizer a few years ago. His skin was albino white; sunken and waxy. His face was like a skull, with shallow cheeks, thin lips over his yellowing teeth and absolutely no hair on his head. However, he did have an orange moustache, underneath his long, prominent nose and there were bionic implants over his ears. But it was his deep-set eyes that were most frightening; the whites of his eyes had turned pitch black and his irises were a blood red, with barely visible pupils. He looked very much like a vampire; a very fat vampire, that is. He even had sharp canine teeth. Robotnik is a monster, inside and out.

"Snively... Grimer..." Robotnik spoke calmly, but his voice was full of rage.

"Yes, sir," the two whimpered. Somehow, Robotnik's calmness was about as terrifying as his rage.

"You said the shield was perfect and could repel that wretched hedgehog!" Robotnik snarled.

"C… c…. clearly, we u… u… underestimated his s… speed, sir," Snivley said, sweating from head to foot. Even the soldiers in the room were sweating with fright.

"We didn't think he could break through, my Lord," Grimer said.

"Just leave my sight!" Robotnik said, his eyes flashing, "or else!"

Snivley and Grimer and the other guards hurried from the control room so fast, even Sonic would be impressed. They dared not underestimate him.

Robotnik sat on his throne, thinking, while he stroked his pet robotic chicken, Cluck. He'd been having problems with all these Freedom Fighter movements almost since the day he took over 10 years ago but the Knothole Freedom Fighters had been the most bothering, especially because of Sonic. But over the years, Robotnik had felt that there was something familiar about Sonic...

Robotnik knew that Sonic was the nephew of Sir Charles, his predecessor in the Ministry of Science and one of the first to be Roboticized after his takeover. Charles had once been Prince Charles of the Royal Hedgehog family before surrendering his royal duties and title. At the time, Robotnik hadn't given the matter much thought, too focused on putting together his coup, but now, Robotnik brought it to the forefront of his thoughts. Charles' younger brother, King Jules and his wife Queen Bernadette, who had been the first two to be Roboticized, had had triplets - Ogilvy, Victoria and Manuel, whom he had never actually seen and thought to have died alongside Bernadette's younger sister, Aleena, five years before the coup. Plus, all records of them had mysteriously been erased, so he couldn't find them. However, Sonic did very much resemble Jules Hedgehog and his eyes were definitely the same shade of green as Bernadette's. Plus, Robotnik did remember once being told that Prince Ogilvy had been displaying great speed for a small baby; great speed...

"Computer, bring up images of King Jules and Queen Bernadette, along with one of Sonic the Hedgehog," Robotnik commanded.

"As you wish, my lord," the computer replied in a monotone. After a few moments, the computer brought an image of Sonic (Robotnik had thousands of these because of all Sonic's exploits), along with two other hedgehogs. One hedgehog, a male, looked very much like Sonic, except he had brown hair, lilac eyes and was much older. The other, a female, was a light purplish-blue, with blond hair and emerald eyes, exactly like Sonic's.

Robotnik's red and black eyes widened. "Of course! Sonic _is_ Prince Ogilvy, the son of Jules and Bernadette; why didn't I think of doing this before?! I was so focused on taking over that I failed to notice the Hedgehog Prince right under my very nose!"

Robotnik felt somewhat humiliated for this failure; he was said to be the most intelligent human on Mobius, ranking 300 on the IQ scale. He felt angry about this lack of notice and felt the urge to crush something in the vicinity. But he calmed himself; there would be time to brood on this later. He needed to figure out more. "If Ogilvy is still out there, then Victoria and Manuel must be too!"

Robotnik knew of two other hedgehogs in his empire; Manic, the Robin Hood-like thief who stalked the dark alleyways of Robotropolis, and Sonia, the adopted daughter of Lady Windermere. Could they be Manuel and Victoria? Only one way to find out...

"Computer, bring up images of both Manic and Sonia and see if there are any physical similarities between them, as well as with Sonic."

"Affirmative, Lord Robotnik." The computer brought images of all three hedgehogs side by side and began running scans on their faces. Soon, resemblances began to be made; nose, eyes, quill style and faces. Robotnik was almost there; just one more thing...

"Computer, determine each hedgehog's date of birth."

The computer could scan an individual and use their size and appearance to determine their age and to trace back to when they were born.

"Date of birth: 21 June 3391 MA for all three hedgehogs."

"It _is_ them; they're out there!" Robotnik yelled. "Then I'm declaring full-scale war on the Freedom Fighter Resistance!"

* * *

><p>STT hut, Green Hill<p>

The Oracle was cleaning off the chilli Sonic had spat out all over his hand.

"Sorry about that," Sonic said, "It's just… Wow! A brother and a sister! But I grew up without them; why?"

"It was to protect you from Robotnik," the Oracle replied. "You three had to be split up for your safety."

"But why?"

"All in good time, my young hedgehog."

Sonic groaned. "Why do some people prefer to play for time?"

The Oracle frowned, but continued patiently. "You said, did you not, that you often felt emotions that didn't seem your own?"

"Yes?"

"That's because you have an empathic bond with your siblings. To find them, look deep within yourself and reach out with your heart. They will sense you, Prince Sonic." And with that, he disappeared.

"Hey wait," Sonic said "What do you mean? Why doesn't anyone specify things?"

"He told you to look into your heart and reach with your mind," I said. Sonic started.

"Oh, Tommy, I almost forgot you were there. Right... I'm not one for meditation, you know, Tom."

"Just... give it a try, bro."

"Alright, but I don't see what good it'll do." Nevertheless, Sonic closed his eyes and breathed slowly. For a few moments, nothing happened. An owl hooted, but nothing else happened.

I was about to say something, when suddenly, I lifted right off my feet.

"What the?!" I cried in alarm. I was floating off the floor, along with the table, chairs and the chilli dogs Sonic hadn't wolfed down yet. "Sonic, is this you?"

Sonic didn't answer, but he opened his eyes and they were glowing white.

* * *

><p>Windermere Manor<p>

Sonia sat bolt upright in bed. "What was that?" she cried in astonishment.

* * *

><p>Ferrell's hideout, Robotropolis<p>

"What was that?" Manic said, looking around him.

"What is it, Manic?" Ferrell said.

"I felt something... something strange..."

* * *

><p>Sonic's eyes ceased glowing and he smiled. "They're out there!" he said. At that moment, I fell back to the floor.<p>

"Ow!"

"Tommy, you okay?"

"Aside from my hurting butt, yes. What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You made me float over the ground for a few moments."

"I didn't know I was doing that."

"I think that was obvious. Anyway, we should probablyhead back to Knothole and inform the others of this new development."

"Yeah, but maybe in the morning," Sonic said. "Not going back without 8 hours of sleep."

"You never change," I chuckled.

* * *

><p>Robotropolis<p>

Sleet and his partner Dingo were utterly delighted. They were being enlisted by Valefar Robotnik himself; this was going to be their best and most priceful assignment yet!

Sleet and Dingo were bounty hunters and had been working together for several years. Since Robotnik's takeover, Mobians were essentially outlaws and enemies of the state. Mobians were constantly on the run from Imperial forces and would pay a handsome deal to anyone prepared to help them. Sleet and Dingo had taken up this job gladly, though it was really for money than actually helping their kind. It seemed that their antics had intrigued Robotnik, because he had sent them a request for their assistance. Unfortunately, the two were so greedy that they would help anyone, whether they be Mobian or human, so they accepted

"Oh, Your Evilness," said Sleet, as he and Dingo entered the command centre, "Thank you for enlisting us, sir! Your wish is our command; you have only to ask and we'll do it!"

"What I want for you to swear eternal allegiance to my service," Robotnik said.

"How flattering of you, my lord," said Sleet, "What a great offer, but we work free-lance."

"Yeah," said Dingo, "We work… err… we… work by ourselves."

"Silence!" Robotnik snapped, "From now on, you serve me, Doctor Valefar Ivo Robotnik, and the Dark Imperial Legion."

"But sir…"

Robotnik didn't take no for an answer… ever! He pressed a button and a laser started shooting at the two bounty hunters, causing them to panic.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Sleet said quickly, "Perhaps it's time we made a change." Both knelt to Robotnik. "We hereby pledge our allegiance to you, O Lucifer of Evil."

"Good!" Robotnik said, "That's more like it. Now…"

He brought up an image of Sonic.

"This is Sonic the Hedgehog. You may have heard of him."

"Ah, yes, the fastest thing alive, I presume."

"He's been a thorn in my side for nearly ten years; he's part of the Knothole Freedom Fighter movement. But recently, I've learnt that he is in fact Prince Ogilvy of the Royal Hedgehog family."

"I thought that family died out nearly 15 years ago," Dingo said.

"So it was believed," Robotnik said, "but it was a trick; a deception. I've seen the resemblances between this hedgehog and the Hedgehog rulers Jules and Bernadette; there is no denying it now. Plus, there are two others; Victoria and Manuel."

The computer next brought up images of Manic and Sonia.

"Manuel, currently known as Manic, is living with a bunch of sneak thieves who are constantly stealing stuff from my people. Victoria lives with one of my citizens, Lady Windermere, under the name of Sonia. I want both hedgehogs captured and brought to me; I can use them as leverage to lure Sonic into a trap, so I can get all three."

"But sir, how can three measly hedgehogs possibly be dangerous?" Sleet asked.

"Don't judge a book by its cover!" Robotnik snapped, pounding his armrests, "These hedgehogs could destroy everything I've built over the last decade."

"Okay, sir, okay!" Sleet said hastily, "Consider those hedgehogs captured."

"Excellent. I shall assign SWAT bots and storm troopers to accompany you in your capture."

"Yes, sir," Sleet said.

"And do not fail me."

"Yes, sir!" Sleet said, saluting promptly.

Then Sleet noticed that Dingo was admiring Sonia's picture.

"Pretty," he said quietly.

"She's an enemy, idiot!" Sleet snapped, slapping his partner over the head, "She must be captured."

"Oh… right."

* * *

><p>Knothole Village, Great Forest<p>

Sally Acorn, leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, was in Freedom HQ with her friends Rotor Walrus, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D'Coolette. They were planning their next mode of action against the Imperials based on their latest information from Robotropolis.

Sally, a brown squirrel-chipmunk hybrid with auburn hair, sparkling blue eyes and wearing a blue vest and boots, wasn't feeling very confident; despite Sonic managing to destroy Robotnik's latest technique of defence, they still weren't much closer to bringing Robotnik down than before. Normally, this wouldn't be the appropriate type of behaviour to adopt, but Sally often found it hard to be optimistic. Being both a leader and a Princess whose family had been ousted from power, as well as whose father can been lost, can be quite stressful.

"You alright, Sally girl?" Bunnie asked her friend. Bunnie Rabbot, 17, a yellowish-brown rabbit with green eyes, a droopy left ear, wearing a purple leotard and speaking in a Southern accent, was a relatively new member of the Freedom Fighters and had only lived with them for about a year. She had been captured by Imperial forces and almost roboticized, but Sonic had managed to save her; well, two thirds of her at most. Her left arm, lower torso and both her legs were robotic. Though she frequently used these to fight the enemy, she also missed having a completely organic body.

"I'm fine, Bunnie," Sally said. "It's just that... after nearly ten years, we don't seem to be making any real progress. Robotnik still controls most of Mobius and his grip doesn't seem to have loosened up, even if we have Eurish on our side. Sometimes, I wonder if my leadership is that effective."

"Don't be like that, Sally," Rotor said. "You're one of the best leaders I know."

Rotor Walrus, 15 was the Freedom Fighters' mechanic; alongside Tails, he was the guy in charge of their equipment, weapons and gadgets. He was a purple-blue walrus with dark green eyes, wearing a yellow cap and a sash across his chest. He originated from Norway and it showed in the way he spoke.

"Oui, my Preen-cess," Antoine said. "I am agreeing with Rotor on zat note."

Antoine D'Coolette, 17, was a coyote from the French provinces of Canada who specialised mainly in swordsmanship. Despite his skill, he was also rather skittish and while not the most cowardly, he was by no means the bravest either. He had often blown his friends' cover because he couldn't control his fear.

Sally smiled faintly. "Thanks, guys; I appreciate your compliments. But I was just hoping that after all this time, we might have made at least some progress. But we're not much closer to freeing Mobius now than we were when we began our rebellion; neither are we any closer to finding my father."

"Well, I don't think he'd want you to be giving up, Sal," said a voice. Sonic had appeared in the doorway, leaning on the frame casually. "Sometimes, a little is better than nothing."

"Same old Sonic," Sally said with a chuckle. Just having Sonic around made her feel at least a little better. "Always confident; always optimistic."

"Well, no good comes from being gloomy so much," Sonic said, as he strode in, Tails and myself right behind.

"Hey, sugah fox, Tommy," Bunnie said.

"Hey guys," I said quietly. "How's it going?" I was still not entirely used to their guys yet; I was still learning how to fit in with them all.

"What brings you home early?" Sally asked. "You said you'd be back a few days later than this."

"I have something to tell you guys," Sonic said. "Something I've only just learned."

"What's that?" Rotor asked.

"Last night, I was visited by the Oracle of Delphius," Sonic said. "You've heard of him, right?"

"Certainly," Sally said.

"Yeah, he's that magician guy who lives somewhere in the Northern Mountains," Bunnie said.

"Well," Sonic said, surprisingly rather awkwardly, "he revealed to me two things; firstly - this may be a surprise - but I'm actually... a Prince... Prince of the Royal Hedgehogs, to be precise; and secondly, I have... a brother and a sister..."

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R.<strong>


	4. Attack and Confusion

Attack and Confusion

As you can probably imagine, readers, what Sonic had just told his friends was quite a surprise. There was a shocked silence in Freedom HQ, in which Sally, Rotor, Bunnie and Antoine all just stood where they were. Then, Sally broke it.

"Is this... a joke, Sonic?" she said tentatively. "I mean, knowing you, this could be a joke."

"Zis is obviously a joke," Antoine said dismissively. "Zis 'edge'og cannot possibly be a prince. Zat is just crazy!" Though like the other FFs, Antoine respected Sonic, he also couldn't help being jealous of him, because he suffered from low self-esteem.

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Would I lie to you, Sal?" he said, ignoring Antoine. "I know it sounds crazy; I still find it hard to fully accept myself."

"It sure does sound mighty crazy," Bunnie said. "Well, the prince thing does, anyway; the brother and sister thing, though - that's great!"

"I know it does," Tails said. Like the others, he'd been surprised by the news as well, but he'd soon accepted it and seemed to love the idea of Sonic having actual siblings. "It's just awesome! I'm gonna have another brother, and a sister too!"

"It's all true, guys," I said quietly. "I was there and I heard the Oracle say it."

"So you believe it?" Rotor asked.

"Oh yes. It's perplexing, I know, but I don't see why it can't be true." I looked at Sally. "Your father was King Max Acorn; did he ever tell about a Royal Hedgehog family?"

Sally thought for a moment. "I don't think so," she said slowly. "I've heard talks about another Royal family that ruled the Kingdom alongside my father and apparently died out some time ago, but I've never found any actual evidence for that."

"I think we should worry about that later," I said. "Right now, we think we should think about finding Sonic's brother and sister."

Sally nodded. "You're right, Tommy; we should find them. The question is, how? We don't even know who they are."

"I think I may have something," Sonic said. "The Oracle told me to look into my heart and reach out to them; kinda sappy, I know, but I did see two figures who looked like me for a brief moment. One was green with punk hair and blue eyes and the other pink and purple with lilac eyes. Ring a bell with any of you?"

"Wait, wait, wait! Y'all reached out to them with your mind, sugah hog?" Bunnie said, confused.

"Yes, and when he did it, for some reason, I floated off the floor, as did several objects next to us," I said.

"How did that happen?" Rotor asked, stunned. "I didn't think it was scientifically possible. How can the mind project sufficient cerebral activity in order to manipulate matter in the immediate-?"

"Kindly spare us your science-talk, Rote!" Sonic said impatiently. Sonic was by no means unintelligent, but he preferred straight, to-the-point words; no complicated or weird. "It did happen; I felt it! And Tommy saw it too. But anyway, we'll deal with that later! Right now, does my description of my brother and sister ring any bells? I have to find them before Buttnik does!"

Everyone thought for a moment. Then, I remembered something: during my journey to Knothole, I'd been in Robotropolis and I'd met a green hedgehog named Manic. He lived with a thief named Ferrell, who had apparently raised him from a baby. I'd stayed with them for a short time before moving on. But before I could voice this, Rotor spoke up.

"I know of a green hedgehog called Manic living with a thief named Ferrell in the dingy areas of the city. I thought he bore some resemblance to you when I saw his wanted poster. But I couldn't be sure."

"And I know of a hedgehog named Sonia who lives with an aristocrat named Lady Windermere," Sally said. "Maybe that's your sister."

"But those pompous snobs are mostly loyal to Buttnik," Sonic said. "What if this Sonia - my possible sister - is the same?"

"Don't be so sure, sugah," Bunnie said. "Not all the aristocrats actually like Robotnik, you know. And they're not all snobs either!"

"Whatever," Sonic said. "Let's just get to finding them already. Come on, Sal; give us a plan and we'll do it!"

Sally seemed rather bewildered at Sonic's behaviour and she wasn't sure why; Sonic was like this almost all the time, but there was some sort of real urgency in Sonic's voice as he spoke.

"Okay, okay; we'll all go to Robotropolis tonight. We'll arrange for a rendezvous point; Sonic, you, Tommy, Tails and Rotor can search for this Manic; Bunnie, Antoine and I will find Sonia. We meet up in about 2 hours."

"Got it!" everyone else said.

* * *

><p>Windermere Manor<p>

"Sonia, are you okay, my dear?" Lady Windermere asked her foster daughter at the breakfast table. Sonia was eating her bacon, eggs and toast, but she was very quiet and keeping her eyes down.

"I... I'm fine," Sonia said.

"You don't sound fine at all," Lady Windermere said. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Why were you awake half the night?"

"Bad dream, I guess," Sonia said, not meeting her eyes. The truth was, she was still disturbed by what she'd felt last night. It was if someone else had been in her head; someone she knew, yet somehow didn't actually know. It was very confusing.

"I doubt that," Lady Windermere said. "I know you're not being honest with me, Sonia. Please, my dear. I'm here for you. Tell me what's troubling you."

Sonia sighed and put down her fork. "Lady Windermere, I..."

But before she could continue, the doorbell rang.

"That's odd," Lady Windermere said. "I wasn't expecting visitors this early."

She opened the door to find an officer standing there.

"Lady Windermere, I have been asked to escort you and your adopted daughter Sonia to central Robotropolis."

"What for?" Lady Windermere asked, her voice calm, but secretly she was rather nervous.

"You'll find out when you get there," the man replied. "Now I must insist; we can't keep Lord Robotnik waiting."

"Um... okay," Lady Windermere said apprehensively. She turned to call for Sonia, but Sonia was already there.

"You heard..."

"Yes," Sonia replied, before her guardian could finish. "And I think it's better if we do as the man says; I'm sure it's nothing too serious, right?"

"Of course not, my dear," the officer said.

"Well then, shall we go?"

The officer led Sonia and Windermere to a car that appeared to be armoured for some reason.

"What's with the armour?" Sonia asked.

"Just a precaution, in case any Freedom Fighters try to attack us," the officer said, as he opened the door for them. "Those terrorists can be sneaky, after all."

Sonia had heard of the Freedom Fighters; they opposed Robotnik's rule and wished to bring him down. As a result, they'd been labelled as terrorists. However, Sonia didn't think so herself; Robotnik was a rather harsh ruler and even the people in his empire weren't all supportive of him. Also, she doubted any FF would want to kill her; she had a feeling this armour was for another reason.

Meanwhile, Sally, Antoine and Bunnie were watching everything from a distance.

"They must be onto them, Sally-girl," Bunnie whispered. "Why else would they ask to come with them?"

"That must mean they're after Manic as well," Sally said. "We should alert Sonic and the others."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in Robotropolis<p>

Manic was out again in his disguise, on the lookout for any more people to steal from. However, he wasn't really thinking about stealing; he was too preoccupied by what happened last night. He had received a jolt in his mind and he didn't really know what had caused it, though for a moment, it had felt as if someone had been in his head. He was so busy puzzling over it that he accidentally walked into someone.

"Oh, sorry," he said, as he glanced up at the figure. It was a grey wolf with yellow and green eyes and blue hair and wearing casual clothing that was somewhat ragged. Though Manic had never seen him before, something inside him told him that this guy couldn't be fully trusted; this was born out of growing up in an environment like this.

"It's alright," the wolf said, waving a hand. "I was actually looking for you, you know, Manic.

"How do you know who I am?" Then Manic noticed when he walked into the wolf, his mask had fallen off.

"I've heard of you," the wolf said. "And I've seen your wanted pictures. But no need to worry; I'm not going to turn you in. What I am going to do is offer an amazing deal to you. Do it and you will never have to steal for you or your friends again."

Now Manic was interested. Despite his upbringing by Ferrell, he was not really keen on stealing and only did it because it was necessary to ensure their nourishment, as well as other people's.

"Alright, I'm interested," he said tentatively.

"Very well, then," the wolf said. "Take me to where you live; I believe your fellows will want to hear my offer as well."

"Okay then," Manic said, putting his disguise back on.

As you may have guessed, this wolf was Sleet and he was leading Manic into a trap. The plan was to have the young hedgehog lead them to Ferrell and his gang with the lure of a good deal and then capture them and bring them to Robotnik. As such, a group of soldiers were tracking Sleet's movements, waiting for his signal to move in.

* * *

><p>However, it was at that moment that Sonic, Tails, Rotor and myself had arrived in that part of town. Sonic hadn't said a word to any of us; he seemed too preoccupied with finding his brother and was apparently following some sort of sixth sense he now had. This was getting weirder and weirder.<p>

"Sonic?" Tails asked, but Sonic took no notice.

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked.

"Yes!" Sonic said briskly. "Now shush!"

He paused for a moment, thought and then, gasped and dashed off, leaving us to hurry after him.

"Sonic, Sally warned us that Robotnik's forces are on to your brother and sister," Rotor called. Again, Sonic took no notice. He seemed too determined to find his brother Manic.

* * *

><p>Despite what the wolf had offered him, Manic knew better than to trust this guy and lead him to his hideout. He knew who this guy was; it was Sleet, the famous bounty hunter; while he and his partner Dingo had helped Mobians and humans alike everywhere, he was also known to be a sneak. Well, Manic felt sure he could out-sneak this guy himself.<p>

He was leading Sleet away from his home; he knew this part of town like the back of his hand, so he knew where to go and he had a plan. He would lead Sleet into an old underground station and then, he would give him the slip while pretending to fetch Ferrell and the others.

"So how are we going?" Sleet asked.

"The old underground," Manic replied, pointing down a stairwell. "It's been out of use for years, so it made the perfect hideout."

"Ah, yes," Sleet said. Before following Manic down, he whispered into a comlink, "Troops, surround the old underground station. And some of you go down to guard the tracks; make sure no one escapes."

"Yes, sir," the troops replied.

Manic led Sleet down into the underground station. An old railway car stood at the platform, rusty and disused.

Manic turned to Sleet. "Wait here and I'll get Ferrell and the others. They'll probably be somewhere down the line."

"I see," Sleet said. "Thank you for telling me that; now, I hereby place you-OMPH!"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because a blue blur charged into him, sending him crashing into the old car. It happened so fast when Sleet just seemed to vanish.

Tails, Rotor and myself hurried down into the station to find Manic staring bewildered at the car, where Sonic had tackled Sleet and was now punching repeatedly.

"You dare threaten my brother?!" he shouted, punching with each word.

The rest of us hurried over to Manic.

"Who are you people?" he asked, still confused.

"No time for that," Rotor said. "Come on, let's get out of here before the troops arrive."

"What troops? Why did that blue guy say 'brother'? I-I have no brother. I... I..." Manic staggered slightly, overwhelmed by confusion. Just then, the troops moved in, their weapons aimed at us.

"Freeze, Freedom Fighters!" the leader said. "You're under arrest in the name of Robotnik!"

"I think not!" Sonic said, suddenly abandoning his punching of Sleet and going for the troopers instead.

"Hedgehog, Priority One!" they yelled and opened fire. But Sonic, naturally, was too fast for them; he darted around, punching, kicking or Spin Dashing each trooper down.

"Guys, run for it!" he said. "I'll keep 'em busy!"

But then, out of the darkness, a cloaked figure appeared. I couldn't see the face beneath, but he or she seemed to be quite fast too, because they pounced towards Sonic and punched him hard in the chest just as he charged at another trooper. Sonic was knocked backwards by the blow.

"OW! Who did that?" he demanded.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," the figure said in a female voice. "How nice to finally meet you face-to-face."

"Who are you?" Sonic snarled.

"The one who will ensure your capture," the female replied.

"Not likely!" Sonic snarled and he went straight for her. However, despite him moving almost too fast to see, she punched him back with ease. Sonic shook himself and attacked again, but the female dodged with ease.

"I'm trained to counter your speed, hedgehog," the figure said slyly. "You can't defeat me!"

"Can't I?" Somic snarled. He attacked with a barrage of fast punches and kicks, but somehow, the female was parrying them with ease. Even when Sonic tried a Spin Dash at her, she simply caught him in her hands and threw him across the station. Just as Sonic was getting ready for another attack, lightning cackled from her fingers and hit Sonic. Sonic yelled in pain and his body went stiff in agony. I thought I saw his skeleton illuminated from beneath his skin.

"SONIC!" Tails cried.

"GO!" he managed to yell to us. _"JUST GO!"_

Tails grabbed Rotor, Manic and myself and with surprising strength for a kid his age, lifted all of us off the ground and flew us out of the underground station. The soldiers tried to follow, but the hooded figure yelled, "No, let them go! They are of little concern to us; we have the blue hedgehog himself; that should be more than enough!"

* * *

><p>Robotropolis Command Centre<p>

Robotnik's comm-link buzzed. He pressed the reply button and Sleet's voice spoke.

"Sir, we failed to apprehend the green hedgehog Manic, but we were able to capture the blue hedgehog Sonic himself."

"Excellent!" Robotnik said. "You did great, Sleet."

"Well, we would've except for some cloaked female that intervened and took out the hedgehog."

"Ah, yes," Robotnik said. "That figures. She's a disciple of mine and has longed to deal with Sonic for a while. Still, you led Sonic's brother to that station, which led Sonic to you and thus, followed us to capture him."

"Fair point," Sleet said, with a small grin. "Anyway, we'll bring him in." And he terminated the connection.

Robotnik turned to Snively and Grimer. "Have you analysed Miss Sonia's blood sample yet?"

Sonia had arrived just a few minutes and had had a sample of her blood taken by Snively, much to her objections, since she'd had no say in the matter.

"Yes, sir," Grimer said.

"Give me a midi-chlorian count."

Snively read the report. "About 16,000 per cells, sir."

Robotnik stroked his moustache. "Interesting... this girl could be useful to me, with the right training. But right now, she should be kept away from here; her brother will be along shortly. Have her sent back home and placed under house arrest until further notice."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Tails, Rotor, Manic and I had escaped Imperial forces and hidden in an old building. Manic was still confused from what had just occurred a few moments.<p>

"What's going on?" he said. "Why was that blue hedgehog saying he was my brother? I don't have a brother! And who was that woman in a hood? What was that lightning attack?"

"Calm down, Manic!" I said. "Deep breath!"

Manic looked at us. "Who are you people and how do you know my name?! What do you want from me

"We're the Knothole Freedom Fighters, young Manic," said a voice. Sally had arrived with Bunnie and Antoine. "And we have heard about you. But you have no cause to be alarmed. We're friends."

Manic stopped looking so alarmed. "Hang on, I know you. You're Princess Sally Acorn!"

"Yes, I am," Sally said, holding out her hand, which Manic shook.

"What do you want with me?"

"We're here to tell something, Manic," I said. "Something important."

"Like what?"

"Like you being a prince and having a brother and sister."

Manic looked stunned, his blue eyes swivelling between each of us in bewilderment. "Okay, this has to be a dream," he said, and pinched himself. "Ow!"

"This is no dream, sugah hog," Bunnie said.

"But this has to be!" Manic said. "I can't be a prince and I don't have any siblings!" Then he paused and seemed to think about it for a moment. "Actually, now I think about it, I often wondered if there was more to me than I thought; things Ferrell might never have told me. But who was that blue hedgehog back there? Was that Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"Yes, it was," Sally said simply.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, my brother?" Manic said, apparently lost in his own thoughts. "That's... that's incredible..."

"And we believe your sister may be Miss Sonia Windermere," Tails said. "You heard of her?"

Manic looked surprised. "Yes, kind of, but how could she be my sister? She lives with an aristocrat and I live in the grimy back alleys of town."

"It would seem you were separated at birth," Sally said. "Why, I don't know. But there's really no time for any more discussions. We need to rescue Sonia from Robotnik."

"What about Sonic?" Tails asked.

"I honestly doubt they'll be able to hold him for long," I said. "He's busted in and out of that place many times."

"Maybe so, but not Sonia," Sally said. "Come on, let's go. Manic, you're coming with us."

"Why?!" Manic asked, startled. "What do you want with me?"

"We want to keep y'all safe, sugah," Bunnie said. "Robotnik's bound to after you if you're related to Sonic!"

"Figures, but what about Ferrell? I'm not leaving him behind; he's like my father!"

"Oh, of course not!" Sally said. "First..."

She paused. We could hear the sound of a car approaching. I ran to the grimy window and wiped away some of the dirt on it, just in time to see an armoured car pass by.

"That's the same armoured car we saw at Windermere Mansion," said Sally, who had joined me at the window.

Just then, Manic winced.

"What's up?" Rotor asked.

"I just felt something as that car passed; like there was someone reaching out for me."

"That must mean Sonia's in that car," I said. "Maybe they're taking her back to Windermere Mansion."

"Then we should go and get her too," Sally said.

"No, I should go and get her," Manic said. "If she is my sister, she's my responsibility."

"But what about Ferrell?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

"We'll go and find Ferrell," Bunnie said. "Where does he live?"

"He and the others live at these coordinates," Manic said, taking out a small data pad from a pouch on his belt and handing it to Sally. "You guys go and get him; I'll go after Sonia."

"I'll go too," I said, "I want to meet Sonia as well."

"Why is that so special to you?" Manic asked. "And who are you?"

"Oh, Thomas; I'm new to the team."

"Let's save introductions for later," Sally said. "Let's just go."

"Right," Manic said. "Alright, come then."

"See you guys in a bit," I said to the others as I followed Manic out of the warehouse.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Who is the mysterious cloaked figure? And will the FFs be able to rescue Sonic in time before he gets Roboticized? Find out next time!**


End file.
